


Body Heat

by truth_renowned



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: 1947 New York blizzard, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 03:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/pseuds/truth_renowned
Summary: Newly engaged, Peggy and Daniel visit New York during one of the biggest blizzards in the state’s history.





	Body Heat

**Author's Note:**

> From a tumblr prompt from @Kar98k: "Daniel was expecting a nice, quiet night out with Peggy when he knocked on the door of Stark's penthouse. What he wasn't expecting at all that evening was ending up in bed with not only Peggy, but also her roommate - Angie Martinelli."
> 
> I fudged it a little to make it work.

_December 26, 1947  
9:05pm_

Peggy pulled the gossamer curtains aside and peered out the window of Howard’s townhouse. The snow looked like a thick white blanket on the ground, ripples waving with the bursts of light winds. The flakes were coming down in steady rivulets, like someone had opened a faucet in the heavens. It had been snowing much of the day, but it was getting worse by the hour.

It sounded like a good idea at the time, her and Daniel coming back to New York to celebrate the holidays and their engagement. Perhaps it was a good idea. She enjoyed seeing Angie, Howard and the Jarvises, and everyone was genuinely happy for them. Not to mention, the onslaught outside reminded her just how much she hated this cold, dreary weather and how good of a life she had with Daniel in sunny Los Angeles.

She turned at the sound of the front door opening.

“Anyone here?” 

Peggy smiled at her friend’s voice. She stepped away from the window just as Angie, huddled in a gray wool coat, entered the room.

“Whew! Never thought I’d get here.” Angie removed her coat, revealing her Automat uniform, and flopped down on the settee. “It’s snowing like the dickens out there!”

“So I saw,” Peggy said. 

“Where’s the almost Mr. English?” Angie kicked off her shoes and curled her legs under her.

“Oh, he called a few hours ago. He was stopping off for a drink with some former co-workers.”

“From the phone company,” Angie replied with a smirk.

Peggy smiled. Angie knew full well that neither of them worked for the phone company, either here or in California, but they kept up the charade nonetheless.

“Hope he didn’t drive,” Angie continued.

“No, he had a meeting earlier today at… the phone company, and he took the subway, for old times’ sake, he said. One of the men will drive him to the pub and drop him off at a station later.”

“If they can get through,” Angie replied. “I didn’t see a single car on the walk here, other than those covered in snowdrifts.”

A tingle of worry traveled up Peggy’s spine, but she dismissed it. Angie must have noticed.

“What bar?” Angie asked.

“McSorley’s, I believe he said.”

Angie made a ‘don't worry’ gesture with her hand. “That's only a block from a station. It’ll be a few extra stops, but he can get here from there. He’ll be fine.”

Peggy let out a soft sigh of relief. “Yes, of course he will.”

Angie hopped up from the couch. “I smell like Frank’s roast beef special, and I feel like a Popsicle. I’m gonna go stand under a hot shower for an hour or so.”

“Enjoy,” Peggy said, watching Angie walk toward her bedroom and shaking her head at her coat in a heap on the floor.

Peggy picked up the coat, noting its soggy state and wondering how far Angie had to walk in this weather. After hanging the coat in the hall closet, she glanced at the clock. Just past nine. The weather made it seem much later and much more ominous. She shook off the thought of Daniel out in the storm. Angie was right. He would be fine. As a matter of fact, he most likely was having a good time. It was hard to believe that it was Jack’s idea to go out for drinks. Daniel said Jack wanted to give him “a night out without the ball and chain”. Peggy smiled; she knew Daniel didn’t think of her as that, but she could tell from his voice that he was touched at Jack’s gesture. In his own cocky, annoying way, Jack was taking Daniel out to celebrate the engagement.

Her smile lingered as she settled on the settee, picking up the book “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn,” which she’d found earlier in the sparsely appointed library. It was one of the few selections that didn’t sound like a trashy potboiler.

She made it through a dozen pages when the lights flickered twice, then extinguished. 

“Bloody hell,” she mumbled, getting up off the settee. She winced when she clipped her shin on the corner of the cocktail table, then felt her way down the hall and toward her bedroom. On the side table was a flashlight, which she grabbed and flicked on.

“Not funny, English!” she heard Angie yell from her bathroom. “Cold shower wasn’t what I had in mind!”

“It wasn’t me,” Peggy yelled back. “The electricity must have gone out.”

She approached Angie’s bathroom just as her friend was tightening the belt on her robe.

“Good thing I wasn’t washing my hair,” Angie said with a huff. “Since when does electricity affect the hot water?”

“I’m guessing the furnace is electric, not coal, considering Howard always must have the newest and best toys.”

“So no lights, no heat, no hot water?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Stupid rich people,” Angie mumbled as she grabbed the flashlight from Peggy’s hand and stomped down the hallway.

Peggy followed her into the kitchen, where Angie went straight to one of the drawers, pulling out several candles.

“Knew I remembered seeing these,” Angie said. “Somewhere around here are some candlesticks. I think they were in the buffet.”

“Right.” 

Peggy waited until Angie lit one of the candles, then took the flashlight into the dining area and fished around in the buffet drawers until she found four candlesticks. She brought them into the kitchen, and she and Angie arranged them, putting one on the counter, then three in the living room.

“Well, this stinks,” Angie said with a sigh.

“It could be worse. We could still be in the Griffith, where Mrs. Fry kept the extra blankets under lock and key.”

Angie laughed. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” She picked up one of the candlesticks. “Since there’s nothing else to do, I’m going to turn in for the evening. I've got the morning shift, too, if I can get there. I’m going to burrow under every blanket I can find.”

“Save some for Daniel and I.”

“I’m sure you can find other ways to warm each other,” Angle replied, and Peggy caught the sly smile on her friend’s lips before she turned her head and walked down the hall.

Peggy laughed, assuming her and Daniel’s idea of sleeping in separate rooms while in New York was not fooling Angie. Yes, Peggy had snuck into his room the previous night, and they were quiet, or more quiet than they normally were. And Daniel’s room was the furthest from Angie’s, but apparently not far enough.

Peggy curled up on the settee again, book in hand. Reading by candlelight wasn’t ideal, but what else was she to do? Sleep was not an option, at least not until Daniel got back. She hoped he was warm. She tried to think if he took gloves with him. He had his fedora but she wasn’t sure if he had gloves…

She shook her head and laughed again.

“Engaged a few weeks and I’m thinking like a wife already,” she mumbled, unsure whether to smile or cringe.

Looking at the beautiful diamond ring on her finger, she decided on a smile.

\--------

_December 27, 1947  
12:48am_

Peggy jerked awake, causing the open book on her chest to fall to the floor. She looked at the two candlesticks on the cocktail table. Rows of wax had dripped down the side of each candle, which were nearly one-third gone.

Picking up one of the candlesticks, she walked to where a clock hung on the wall. Past twelve-thirty and no word from Daniel. She shouldn’t be worried. Maybe they decided to stop by a club. But he would have called her, right? Perhaps Jack talked him out of it, more of his “ball and chain” gibberish. Would Daniel do that and not let her know? _Well, why wouldn't he?_ she thought. It’s not like they were married. Yet. 

But he wouldn’t do that. Would he? 

Peggy started toward the phone and picked up the receiver, relieved to hear a dial tone. Unbidden, a flashback popped into her head, at home when she was a child, her mum pacing, her father coming home late, the ensuing interrogation of where in the bloody blue blazes he was...

She looked at the receiver in her hand as if it were a snake, then slammed it down.

“Dear God, I’m turning into my mum.”

The thought frightened her more than Daniel being out in a blizzard. It used to drive her -- and her father, even more so -- bonkers when her mum acted like a busybody, and Peggy refused to be that type of woman. If Daniel wanted to stay out all night, it was his prerogative. He was his own man. He could do what he wanted, just as she could do what she wanted and often did. She couldn’t say she would be thoughtful enough to call him if she were delayed.

But she wasn’t as thoughtful as Daniel. 

And he would call. 

If he were able.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number, batting away the image of her mum like a gnat buzzing about her head.

“This better be good,” the voice on the other end growled.

“Jack, it’s Peggy.”

“Oh, uh, Carter. What’s up?”

“If you’re home, then that means Daniel left the bar as well?”

“Yeah, we all left together,” Jack said, his tone softening. “He’s not there yet?”

“No. When did you leave?”

“Maybe eleven or so? We all had to take the subway, no way to drive on those roads.”

“So you all took the subway, Daniel included?”

“Yeah, pointed him in the right direction myself. Living in L.A. makes you soft, driving yourself everywhere.”

Peggy rolled her eyes.

“Maybe he decided to stop off somewhere, buy you something,” Jack offered, though not convincingly.

“Perhaps.” Though not likely, considering it was past midnight, but she didn’t voice it.

“Listen, Carter… I’ve got, uh, company.”

Peggy heard a muffled giggle and rolled her eyes again. “Oh. So sorry to have disturbed you.”

“Look, if Sousa’s not back soon, call me.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. Good night.”

She forced herself not to slam down the receiver. Sitting heavily on the settee, she put the candlestick on the cocktail table and sighed. Calling Jack Thompson was a mistake. It made her seem panicked and weak in his eyes, which was something she’d never wanted to happen.

“Dammit, Daniel. Where the bloody hell are you?”

She grabbed the book again and willed her mind to focus on the story coming off the pages. It was an interesting book, but she couldn’t concentrate. Something wasn’t right. Or maybe she was imagining things. It was just a snowstorm, after all. Yet…

Almost two hours since Jack said he saw Daniel at the subway station. Yes, it had been a few years since Daniel had taken the subway, and perhaps he got off at a wrong stop, but he could find his way home. Was it possible he could get _this_ lost?

Twenty minutes later and three pages read, though none comprehended, Peggy couldn’t stand it any longer. Something was wrong. She could feel it. The people they pursued as part of their job would love to get their hands on an SSR chief for ransom... 

“You still up?”

Peggy started at the sound of Angie’s voice, turning to see her friend's form eerily lit by the candle in her hand.

“Just waiting up for Daniel,” she told Angie, trying her best to keep her voice light.

“He’s not back?”

“No, not yet.”

Angie tipped her head in a nod. “Maybe he stayed with one of the guys?”

“I called the one person he would have stayed with and he said they all were on the subway two hours ago.”

“Maybe he got off on the wrong stop?”

“Maybe.”

“But maybe not,” Angie said in a soft voice. “You’re worried.”

Peggy scoffed. “Don’t be silly. Daniel’s a grown man, and a resourceful one at that. He’s fine.”

Angie put a hand on her hip. “It might be six months since I’ve seen you, Peggy Carter, but I still know you. You’re worried something bad has happened.”

Peggy bit the inside of her lip, willing herself not to respond. Of course Angie was right, but she couldn’t allow herself to admit it aloud.

Silence filled the vast space of the living room for several seconds before Peggy heard Angie move, her shadowed figure heading down the hall toward the bedrooms.

“Go get dressed,” Angie tossed out. “We’re going out to look for him.”

Peggy started to protest but stopped. Going to look for him was exactly what she wanted -- no, needed -- to do. She stormed off toward her room, putting the lit flashlight on its base on the side table. Wool slacks, a cashmere sweater and brown leather lace-up boots were pulled out of the armoire at breakneck speed, and Peggy was dressed in less than five minutes. 

In the hallway she met Angie, who had dressed just as quickly, and they both headed to the coat closet, pulling on coats, hats and gloves.

“I have the flashlight,” Peggy said, opening the front door. “I imagine it will be quite dark outside, if more than just our block is without power.”

“Good idea.”

Peggy followed Angie out of the townhouse and into the cold. The snow was flying around them, a brisk wind bitterly biting at their faces. On the ground were varying heights of snowdrifts, some higher than Peggy was tall. On the sidewalk, it was more manageable, anywhere from ankle- to knee-high.

“This way,” Angie said, motioning for Peggy to follow. “The station I’m thinking he took is this way.”

Peggy nodded, walking at Angie’s side. Making their way through the thick covering of snow was a challenge.

“How far to the station?” Peggy asked, impatience clipping her words.

“A few blocks, give or take. Usually less than five minutes to walk. In this? It’s gonna be a while.”

Peggy thought about turning back. It was beyond freezing and walking was treacherous at best. She was endangering her friend over a paranoid hunch. Her eyes scanning the horizon, aided by the beam of the flashlight, Peggy looked for anything out of place, which was ironic considering the entire block was deserted and covered in undisturbed snow. Only crazy people were out in this...

Suddenly, Peggy stopped. She saw something, a glint of metal by the lamp post. Was it the post itself? She tilted her head and saw it again. Bright silver, not matted gray like the post.

“Wait!” Peggy tried to run forward but the snow tripped her up. She corrected herself before she went down. “I see something shiny!”

“Where? That's a light post!”

“Up against it,” Peggy shouted back.

“I don't see anything!”

Peggy ignored her, intent on finding out what the silvery glimmer was that caught her eye. She trudged forward, forcing her legs to work overtime to plow through the calf-deep snow.

When she got to the object, Peggy saw part of a silver circle sticking out. She grasped it and pulled, the snow covering it falling away. It was a crutch. Daniel’s crutch. She would know it anywhere, even with a new dent in the arm hole. That was when she saw the unnatural lump of disturbed snow several feet from it, a camel-colored coat peeking through the white covering it. She dove toward the prone form, frantically sweeping snow off of the figure’s face and biting back a sob as she realized it was Daniel. His hair was frozen stiff, sticking up in unnatural ways. He had blood on his forehead and the beginnings of a lump just to the side of his temple. Her fingers immediately went to his throat, feeling for a pulse. It was there, strong and steady, despite the extreme cold of his skin.

“It’s him!”

Angie was at her side in seconds, unable to keep a gasp to herself. “Holy moly, Peggy! What happened?”

“I don’t know, but he’s not conscious. We need to get medical attention.”

“We can’t drive him to the hospital in this,” Angie said with a flourish of her hand toward the snowdrifts.

Peggy bit the inside of her lip. “Then we’ll have to attend to him at home until we can. Help me get him up.”

The two women struggled but got him standing, jostling him around as they gained purchase on the snow-slick sidewalk.

“Peg...?”

Peggy looked at Daniel as he added a groan to the end of her name. 

“He’s awake, Angie! Daniel, hang on. We’re getting you home.”

“C-c-can walk,” he mumbled as he started to shiver.

Peggy shook her head. “The hell you can. Let us do the work.”

Peggy grabbed his crutch, putting it under her free arm, and she and Angie slowly walked Daniel back to the townhouse. He wasn’t quite the dead weight he was when they got him into a standing position, but his uncontrollable shivering made it even more difficult. It took too many minutes, minutes Peggy feared he didn’t have, but they made it.

“Let’s get him into his room,” Peggy said, tossing open the door.

Daniel was quiet again but his shivering seemed worse, which worried Peggy more than she dared admit. She and Angie struggled to get him down the hall, and of course, his room was the last one.

“My room,” Peggy barked out. “It’s closer.”

Without much help from Daniel, they got him into the room.

“Here, sit him there,” Peggy said, and she and Angie maneuvered him into the wing chair a few feet from the bed.

After getting him settled, Angie ran from the room and returned quickly with two of the candlesticks. She lit the candles, giving them some light to work with.

“We need to get his body temperature up.” Peggy started pacing for a few seconds, then stopped. “A hot bath!”

“No hot water, no heat, remember?”

“Bloody hell!”

“First, we need to get these wet clothes off of him.”

Angie worked the buttons open on Daniel’s overcoat as Peggy removed his left shoe and sock. She hesitated with the right side. Would he want Angie to see the prosthetic foot? Did it matter at this point?

She looked up and saw that Angie had removed Daniel’s suit jacket and unbuttoned his dress shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. Angie met her gaze and for once, Peggy saw a touch of embarrassment in her expression.

“Uh… I'm gonna go lay out these coats and clothes in the bathroom to dry, then I’ll find blankets,” Angie said, moving toward the door, flashlight in hand. “You finish getting him naked. I’m sure you have practice.”

“Not funny, Angie.”

“I thought it was hilarious,” her friend mumbled as she ran down the hall.

Peggy sighed, then unbuckled his belt, forcing herself to ignore his violent shivering. She had to get him warm immediately or risk hypothermia, if it hadn't set in already.

She shimmied his trousers down, noting that his wallet was missing from the back pocket. Did it fall out when he fell? It was too late to go back and look now. God knows if they could find the exact spot again, as the snow probably had covered it. She shook off the thought and got to work unstrapping the prosthesis. She'd watched him connect and disconnect the straps many times before, so she had a good idea what to do. Within a few minutes, it was undone.

“Daniel, darling, I need you to lift your hips if you can. Just your left side. I've undone your prosthetic.”

“K-k-kay,” he managed to get out, gripping the chair arms and lifting his body ever so slightly but enough for her to get the sopping wet trousers over his hips.

She ran to the bed and turned down the covers, then rushed back to his side. Stripped down to his undershirt and boxers, he looked helpless, and even in the wavering candlelight, she could see his skin was paler than normal. She feared hypothermia had set in. She’d seen it on the front lines a few times and it rarely ended well for the victim, even with trained medics on duty. It pained her so deeply to see him this way, but she refused to be deterred.

“We’re going to the bed,” she said, hoisting him forward in the chair. “I'm going to need your help.”

“K-k-kay.”

She pulled him up into a standing position, and he leaned his full weight against her. She was ready for it, having planted her feet far apart. Grabbing him around the midsection, she shuffled herself to his right side.

“Put your arms around me.”

He draped one arm around her shoulder, while the other hung limply by his side. It would have to do. Slowly, she half-dragged, half-walked him toward the bed. Daniel was a solidly built man, she knew, and he weighed more than he looked. Lucky for her, the trip was only a few feet, and they both fell onto the bed.

Untangling herself from him, she moved the undershirt up his torso. He weakly lifted his arms over his head as she pulled the shirt off. She lifted his leg onto the bed, then moved his body closer to the headboard until his head lay on one of the pillows. Next to go were his boxers before she climbed out of the bed and immediately placed all of the covers over him, tucking them around his body to form a cocoon of sorts. 

Winded, she finally sat on the edge of the bed and brushed thawing curls from his forehead. “We’re going to get you warm, darling.”

Angie rushed into the room. At least, Peggy assumed it was her; the blankets stacked in her arms were so high, they covered her face.

“Got everything I could find,” Angie said, dropping her bounty on the floor.

Peggy stood up. “Start piling them on him.”

“I brought some towels. Maybe we can dry his hair a little or wrap his head in a towel turban?”

“Good thinking,” Peggy said as she grabbed the two towels, roughing one over his hair to get out the excess water, then wrapping the other around his head.

Once all of the blankets were on the bed, Angie picked up his remaining clothes from the floor. 

“These will have to go in your bathroom,” she said. “Mine’s filled with coats.”

She didn't wait for Peggy to respond, as she was out the door in a flash. 

“I wish we could take you to the hospital,” Peggy said, sitting the bed and running her hand over Daniel’s cheek. “Though I know how much you hate them. I don't care for them, either.”

“N-n-no hospital.”

“Can't get there anyway, in this weather. Do you remember what happened?”

He gave a small shake of his head, and his brow furrowed.

“Don't worry about it,” she said, her thumb smoothing over the wrinkles in his forehead. “You just rest. Think warm thoughts.”

She wasn't sure how long she watched him, his teeth chattering and breath coming in shaky spurts, before she heard shuffling behind her. 

“How is he?”

Peggy sighed. “He’s still shivering. The blankets aren’t working.” 

“Give it time,” Angie said softly.

Peggy was afraid he didn't have time. Maybe they should risk taking him to the hospital. She was frustrated, mostly with herself. Give her someone with a bullet wound or a deep knife cut, and she knew what to do. But she had no experience with treating someone who could freeze to death before her eyes. No, he would _not_ freeze to death. If she could just figure out how to raise his body heat...

With a gasp, she realized what needed to happen. “Body heat.”

Angie gave her a curious look. “What?”

“When a person is suffering hypothermia, the best way to bring up their body temperature is the body heat of another person. I just remembered hearing a medic say it during the war.”

“Oh,” Angie replied, her face showing she still wasn’t sure what Peggy was talking about.

“I need to strip down and get into bed with him, let my body heat warm him up.” She saw Angie’s expression and beat her to what she knew her friend was thinking. “And it’s not just an excuse to get naked with him.”

Angie laughed. “You know me pretty well, too, dontcha, English?”

Peggy started undressing, and Angie turned away from her.

“You sure this will work?” Angie asked.

“I don’t know,” Peggy replied, “but I'm willing to try anything.”

She hadn't realized how wet her own clothes were until she had removed them; even her undergarments were soaked through. 

“You'd better go change,” she told Angie. “Don't want you to catch cold.”

Angie tipped her head forward in a nod, then left the room.

Peggy climbed under the covers and pulled Daniel to her, letting his head lay on her chest while she wrapped her legs around him. This should have felt intimate, as their naked bodies were touching as they had the many times they'd made love, but she felt anything but intimacy. She felt… helpless. Just as helpless as Daniel was. She didn't know what else to do to help him.

Tears sprung into her eyes. She huffed out a sad laugh. The last thing they needed was her to turn on the waterworks. So she did the only thing she knew to do: hold a shivering Daniel in her arms, hoping against hope that he was going to be okay.

“Do you need anything?”

Peggy started; she hadn't heard Angie come in. Had she dozed off? If she had, it couldn't have been for long, as Daniel was still trembling in her arms.

“No,” she said, biting back a sigh as she watched Angie extinguish the candle flames. “The shivering isn’t subsiding. I can’t cover him completely, only his front side, so I suppose it will take time.”

Peggy didn't hear anything for several seconds until she heard rustling. Looking up, she saw Angie pulling her sweater over her head. 

“I can help but I’m not getting totally naked.” She removed her pants, leaving her in bra and panties. “This is as good as it gets.”

“Angie, you don’t have to,” Peggy said, though she was happy Angie stepped up. She needed all the help she could get at this point.

“Of course I don’t have to, but I want to. Friends help friends.”

“This goes above and beyond friendship.”

Angie pulled back the blankets and climbed into bed, moving until her front was covering Daniel’s backside. “I’ve got free room and board in a palatial mansion because of you. _That_ is above and beyond friendship. Wow, he really is cold, isn't he?”

“Yes,” Peggy replied sadly.

“Well, two heaters are better than one, right? With two hot dishes like us, he's bound to warm up in no time.”

Peggy smiled and closed her eyes, willing her friend to be right.

\-------

_December 27, 1947  
6:38am_

He was being held in a furnace. That could be the only explanation for why he was so hot. Almost unbearably hot. And dark. He was on his back but couldn’t move, seemingly blocked in on both sides, but he could move his arms, so no restraints. But still, he couldn’t move. Why? And did he mention how hot it was? Why couldn’t he move? Who was doing this? Who was...

Daniel jerked awake. He still couldn’t move, but now he realized it was because he had blankets tucked in tightly around him. And the blankets were the reason for the heat. 

What in the world…?

He turned his head to his right and saw Peggy’s face, soft and serene in sleep, mouth open and a trail of dried drool along the corner of her mouth. Her arms were outside of the covers, and he could tell she wasn’t wearing a shirt. Probably wasn’t wearing any pajamas at all. He smiled, then frowned. What was with all the blankets?

He heard a sigh and a yawn to his left. It took a few seconds to register that he shouldn’t be hearing anything on his left.

Because Peggy was on his right.

So that meant…

He turned his head slowly to see the smiling face of Angie Martinelli.

“Hey, Daniel.”

He swallowed, speechless for several seconds. “Uh… hey.”

“You feelin’ okay?”

“Uh… yeah. Fine. Good.”

Was he the only one thinking this conversation was awkward? He felt Peggy -- a very naked Peggy, mind you, as he now felt her midsection against his hip -- stir next to him.

“Glad to hear it,” Angie answered. “Mornin’, English.”

He looked over at Peggy, knowing his face reflected his utter confusion at what the hell was happening. Or had happened...

Peggy smiled and responded, “Good morning.”

“I’m gonna get out of bed now,” Angie said.

He watched Peggy nod, then look at him. Were they asking his permission?

“So, ya know,” Angie continued, “can you close your eyes, so I can get out?”

Daniel looked over at Angie, realizing she was talking to him. “Oh! Oh, yes. Of course.”

He turned toward Peggy and slammed his eyes shut, then heard the rustling of the covers. The mattress shifted, and he could feel Angie’s weight leave the bed.

“Thank you again, Angie,” Peggy said.

“Of course. Like I said, that's what friends are for.

Daniel lay there, eyes closed as tightly as possible, until he felt Peggy’s lips lightly kiss his.

“You can open your eyes now,” she said.

He did, focusing on her smirk and the amusement in her eyes.

“Uh… Peg?”

“Mmm?”

“Why am I naked? And why are you naked? And why was Angie in bed with us?”

She tilted her head. “You don’t remember last night?”

His eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. Just what had the three of them done...

“No, nothing that lurid,” she said, scowling in exasperation. “You were attacked during the storm, I believe.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You believe?”

“I’m assuming. We found you in a snowdrift, your wallet missing. What exactly do you remember?”

He hesitated before responding. “I remember being out with the guys. We all took the subway because the roads weren’t passable. I got on the subway.”

“Did you get off at the wrong stop?”

“No. Had a few stops to make, and had to wait for a few trains because it was packed, but I made it. Walked from the station toward here.” He paused, his brow furrowed. “I got hit from behind.”

“How many were there?”

“Just one. Couldn’t get a good look at him, even when I rolled over to fight.”

“So it was a simple mugging,” she said, and he detected disappointment in her tone. 

“You thought I was kidnapped or something?”

She shrugged and lowered her gaze. “You never know.”

He nodded. She was right. Knowing the myriad hornet’s nests they stirred on a regular basis, kidnapping wasn’t out of the question.

“I think the only motive this guy had was money,” he said. “He demanded my wallet. I tried to hit him with my crutch but he grabbed it and clocked me with it.”

Peggy reached out and brushed her fingers over the bruised lump on his forehead. “That explains this and the dent in the arm hole. Angie and I found you unconscious and damn near frozen. We carried you here, nearly a block. We had to get your body temperature up somehow, and there was no electricity or hot water.”

“Body heat,” he responded, nodding. “Strip the person down, get in with them and let your body heat warm them.”

“Exactly. That’s what I did but I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough, you were shivering so violently. So Angie helped. She didn’t strip down completely, though.”

“I noticed,” he said. “But you did.”

She shrugged. “I was the main heater. Had to be as efficient as possible.”

His palm smoothed over her shoulder. “I appreciate efficiency.”

“I know you do,” she said before lowering her lips to his.

The kiss was just what he needed: slow, soft and deep. He forgot about being too hot. He forgot about waking up with two women in bed with him. Okay, he didn’t forget about that but it slowly faded the longer Peggy’s tongue caressed his. Despite the heat and an overwhelming exhaustion, he felt himself stirring.

They jerked apart when they heard Angie yell, “We have electricity!”

“Good to know,” Peggy yelled back. She turned her attention back to Daniel. “So you were telling Angie the truth? You feel fine this morning? Your extremities are okay?”

He took her hand in his and moved it under the covers, not letting go until her palm brushed against his half-hard erection.

“What do you think?” he asked. “Do my extremities feel fine?”

She smiled slyly but moved her hand away. “That extremity always feels fine. I meant your fingers and toes.”

“I feel fine, really. A little tired, but other than that, I'm good.”

“Why don’t you get some more sleep?”

“I have a better idea.” He sealed his words with a seductive smile.

“I'm sure you do but it will have to wait,” Peggy said with a smile of her own. “You went through a lot last night. You need to sleep. And besides, with this weather, I don't think Angie is going anywhere today. We won't have the house to ourselves.”

“We can be quiet.”

“Apparently we can't. The walls have ears, or Angie has extraordinary hearing.”

“Oh.”

“Yes,” she replied, climbing out of bed. “Oh is right. Get some rest.”

“And you expect me to do that looking at you naked?”

She grabbed one of the blankets covering him, then wrapped it around herself like a cape. “Better?”

“No. I know what’s underneath that.”

“Sleep, darling.”

“Not with all of these blankets.”

She nodded and removed all but the original bedspread from the bed, piling them on the wing chair.

He smiled and closed his eyes, then felt her kiss his cheek. He didn’t want to admit how tired he was, or that she was right, but he was asleep less than a minute after she left the room.

\-------

_December 27, 1947  
7:12am_

After a quick shower and pinning her hair, Peggy started to feel more human. She’d told Daniel to sleep but she could have used a few more hours herself. However, she knew if she stayed, neither one of them would get much rest.

She grabbed her robe and slipped it on, then stared at all of the surfaces in the bathroom covered in clothes, some still damp from last night’s ordeal. With a shake of her head, she walked out. A cup of tea first, cleaning up later. 

She stopped in at Daniel’s room and picked out clean clothing for him. When she walked back into her bedroom, his soft snoring made her smile. Placing the clothes on the end of the bed, she quietly left and headed to the living room. Angie had opened all of the curtains, bathing the room in… well, it wasn’t exactly sunlight. Daylight, perhaps?

She found Angie in the kitchen, two coffee cups and a teapot on the table.

“Made you some tea,” Angie said. “Hope it’s not too stale. Does tea get stale? I know coffee does.”

“It’s perfect, Angie. Thank you.” She took a sip, letting the warm liquid coat her throat.

“I embarrassed him, didn’t I?” Angie asked, her voice soft.

“Maybe a little, but he’ll get over it. I think he was just shocked to wake up with two woman in his bed.”

“Most men would have thought they’d died and gone to heaven.”

“Daniel’s not like most men.”

“You got that right.” Angie met her gaze, a sincere smile on her lips. “He's a real swell guy, Peggy. I'm really happy for you.”

“Thank you, Angie. That means a lot to me.”

“I can only hope to be so lucky to find a guy like that.”

“You will. He's out there somewhere.”

Angie huffed out a laugh. “Hopefully not right now, otherwise he'll be one cold cucumber.”

“Maybe not today, but it will happen,” Peggy said after taking a sip of tea. “Some wonderful man will find his way into your heart, and you'll wake up one day and wonder how that happened. But then you'll realize you love that man so much that you don't care how or when it happened, just that it happened. And that it happened with him.”

Angie smiled. “Spoken like a woman who has it bad.”

“Well, I did accept his proposal,” Peggy replied matter-of-factly.

“You wouldn’t believe the number of women I know who marry for convenience. Or security. Or, God forbid, because they’d been told it’s the thing that women must do, find a hubby, quit your job, crank out kids, blah, blah, blah.”

Peggy lowered her gaze, well aware of that last one. “Yes, well, I can guarantee you I do not fall into any of those categories.”

“No, you’re definitely in a category all your own, English.”

Peggy started to respond that Angie was as well, but the telephone ringing interrupted her.

Angie jumped up from her chair, making her way out of the kitchen. “It’s probably Frank asking me when I’ll be in to work. In his dreams.”

Peggy took another sip. She was indeed very lucky to have Daniel. And she was very lucky to have friends like Angie and the Jarvises, and even Howard. For the longest time, she thought she was meant to be alone in the world. She'd been quite wrong about that.

Angie entered the kitchen. “Phone’s for you. Someone named Jack.”

Peggy arched an eyebrow but nodded and got up from the table, quickly walking into the living room to the telephone table. On her way, she looked out the window, seeing the sunless sky and tall plains of white on the ground. The snowdrifts had to be at least six feet high, if not more. It was still hard to believe that Daniel was out in that, unconscious, left for dead by a common criminal. It was even harder to believe that they had found him in time.

With a sigh, she picked up the receiver. “Good morning, Jack.”

“Uh… yeah. Good morning, Carter. Just calling to make sure Sousa made it back safe and sound.”

Peggy smiled. Was Jack worried all night? She marveled at his and Daniel’s relationship. They constantly seemed annoyed with each other but deep down, they cared for one another. One could even call them friends, if so inclined, though not in front of either man, of course. They would deny it to their dying day.

Her smile faded as she thought about how to respond. Should she tell him about the mugging? That she was concerned for his life? Would Daniel want Jack to know that? Did _she_ want Jack to know that?

“Yes, Jack. He made it home. He had a long night, so he’s still sleeping.”

“Good, good. Have him call me when he decides to wake up.”

“Will do. Talk to you later, Jack.”

She started to pull the receiver away from her ear, but stopped when she heard Jack say, “See, Carter. I knew he was fine. Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Yes,” Peggy replied with a sardonic smile, taking another peek out the window. “Nothing to worry about at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> About the storm: December 26-27, 1947 marked one of the biggest blizzards in New York’s history. Great photo and wrap-up here: <http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2045627_2045629_2045655,00.html>
> 
> (Added after comment)  
> About the telephone: It's my understanding that back in the day, phone companies had huge, rechargeable batteries helping to run the systems, which meant electricity wasn't necessary for operation. Hence, Peggy could call Jack. If I'm wrong, please let me know!


End file.
